Run Forrest...

I have been enlisted yet again. When ever Chris's birthday rolls around, I sit and wait for the inevitable.  I have a man in my life that thinks little of the material things. He just wants to have fulfilling experiences that he can take with him.  When his birthday approaches, both his mother and I start to get nervous about our lack of birthday gift ideas that would make him happy.work for Chris. A tie would never work, he never wears one. When you have a somewhat extreme man in your life, all of the usual things seem just that...usual. So we end up on some obscure marathon guide looking for the next adventure. When we were first married, the marathons that were chosen were somewhat typical. We would pick the biggies like New York, LA; the type that had 30,000 people or more garnished with lots of hoopla. As he has reached the ungodly number of 68 marathons with 13 more planned for this year, what happens is that one starts to look for the more unusual events, things that few weirdos take on. You look to run through deserts, mountains, streams; anything that seems unorthodox. You would think that the Ironman would cover the extreme factor, but wait, there's more. He discovered something called brevets over the past years; events where you ride your bicycle day and night for days on end, up to 700 miles give or take a few. Fun...right? So what's the next stop on "Jenny's Lonely Weekends Tour 2011"?  I am never quite sure. Truth is that I have grown accustomed to his zainy ways. Rather than fight it, I embrace it knowing he finds himself somewhere out there on the road. In October, he won't be alone. As part of his gift, I was added to the race list. I have come to expect this every now and then. This time the race just goes up... way up. Somewhere in Arizona, we'll be running up some mountain just to see how good that feels. Thanks Jane for thinking of me.  It's a family affair and has been forever in the Schulten house. As any given race, nine out of the nine immediate family members will join forces to cover the distance. Someday soon, my kids can join the fun too.  Either way, it is always a sweaty experience full of laughs, port-a-potty experiences, forgotten shoes, many beeping gps's and gas...lots of gas. The miracle here is that this lifestyle keeps us together as a family as we find a common bond through endurance and sore muscles.  My mother in law even forewarned me on the eve of my wedding that the territory we cover as a family is long and hard. We may take the road less traveled and we have worn down more shoes than I would like to count, but I wouldn't trade it for the world. Happy Birthday Chris! You truly do break the mold.

 "Jenny's Lonely Weekend's Tour 2011"